USB booting :: Error mounting usb device

Hi,

It all started with a freshly downloaded and burnt cdr of DSL, really only to eventually get it on my 256 meg Sandisk Cruzer Thumb Drive. By the time I get around to activating the Install to USB-HDD Pendrive script, it throws back at me at the end:

Code Sample

Cannot create directory '/mnt/pendrive': File exists
mount: /dev/sda1 is not a valid block device
Error mounting usb device
Press Enter to continue

I don't exactly understand what this can all mean, but I do know that this box is recognizing at a level that the drive is in it by watching dmesg reactions.

What I hate is that when I take it to a WinXP box and throw some files on it and try to just mount it back here manually just to see it, I still get no where.

Code Sample

mount -t vfat /dev/sda /mnt/usbdrive
mount:wrong fs type, bad option, bad superblock on /dev/sda, or too many mounted file systems

This is getting frustrating. I have tried this whole process in both Fat32 and Fat16 fs. Any help, any input would be very much appreciated.

Larry

Yeah, So sorry about that.

Soon after posting, I solved my own problem. I simply had to boot up with the drive plugged in and... that solved all my problems. Easy enough.

Thanks for your time.

CAn you post your mounting proces? I have the same problem.

Ehh, when you install DSL on a usb-stick, it says that the stick shouldn't be mounted?? :/

original here.